Northwood Middle School teacher leverages technology to connect with students

Matt Boone is creating daily videos with educational and entertaining content to better engage with his students

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Updated: 10:08 AM EDT May 8, 2020

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NAVIGATING THIS TRANSITION SEAMLESSLY. >> WITH SCHOOLS OUT IT’S HARDER THAN EVER FOR TEACHERS TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE WITH THEIR STUDENTS. BUT NOW ONE TEACHER HERE AT NORTHWOOD MIDDLE IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO DO JUST THAT. FOR YEARS, MATT BOONE HAS USED A STAR SYSTEM TO HELP INCENTIVIZE HIS STUDENTS. >> EVERY TIME THEY EARN SO MANY STARS THEY GET SOMETHING SO MIGHT BE HOMEWORK PASS. OR IT MIGHT BE COOKIES FREE , PERIOD OUTSIDE. >> BUT WITH THE ABRUPT PIVOT TO ONLINE LEARNING. HE’S HAD TO FIND A NEW WAY TO REACH THEM. >> IT IS ALL MY PRODUCTION. SO I’M VIDEOING IT, I’M EDITING IT, I’M PLAYING ALL THE CHARACTERS. >> CREATING THESE TIMELY SHORT VIDEOS WITH EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINING CONTENT. >> I HAD ONE STUDENT HE KEPT SAYING WHAT’S TOMORROW’S VIDEO WHAT’S IT GONNA BE ABOUT? AND HE KEPT TUNING IN AND TRYING TO GET A SNEAK PEEK. >> THOUGH SEPARATED THROUGH A SCREEN THIS METHOD OF CONNECTION , HAS PROVEN EFFECTIVE. I HAVE ABOUT 83 TO 93% WEEKLY >> PARTICIPATION SO I’M PRETTY PROUD OF THAT. >> A TEACHER NOW FOR TEN YEARS. MATT’S SEAMLESSLY NAVIGATING AN OLD-SCHOOL TEACHING STYLE. IN THIS NEW AGE. >> I’M TRYING TO REALLY CONNECT WITH NOT JUST SOMETHING FUNNY AND MOTIVATIONAL BUT IM TRYING TO PULL IN COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH SO IT’S A MORE ROBUST WAY TO CONNECT WITH THEN. >> MATT TELLS ME THAT HIS NEXT VIDEO WILL FEATURE HIM PLAYING THE VIOLIN. HE ALSO FILMED US TODAY FILMING HIM AND SAYS HE’LL INCORPORATE THAT INTO A FUTURE LESSON AS WE

With the abrupt pivot to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers have found it harder than ever to connect with their students. Not Matt Boone.Boone is a seventh grade English teacher at Northwood Middle School in Taylors. He has been making near-daily videos to educate, entertain and engage with his students. “I’m trying to really connect with them," Boone said. "Not just something funny and motivational but I'm trying to pull in community and social and emotional health so it’s a more robust way to connect with them.”Boone is the sole editor, writer, actor and photographer for these mini productions. On May 4, he produced a "Star Wars"-themed video and acted as all of the characters. “I had one student, he kept saying, 'What’s tomorrow’s video? What’s it gonna be about?'" Boone said. According to Boone, these videos have paid off. His participation rate online averages between 83 percent and 93 percent. Boone's next video will involve him playing the violin. He also filmed WYFF News 4's Madeleine Hackett and photographer Mark Lyon as they interviewed him. He says he plans to incorporate that footage into a future lesson for his students.Boone says his next video will feature him playing the violin. Additional coronavirus resources: Tracking COVID-19 curve of cases, deaths in the Carolinas, Georgia Latest update on coronavirus cases, latest headlines in Carolinas, Georgia COVID-19 maps of Carolinas, Georgia: Latest coronavirus cases by county Sign up for WYFF News 4 coronavirus daily newsletter

TAYLORS, S.C. —

With the abrupt pivot to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers have found it harder than ever to connect with their students. Not Matt Boone.

Boone is a seventh grade English teacher at Northwood Middle School in Taylors. He has been making near-daily videos to educate, entertain and engage with his students.

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“I’m trying to really connect with them," Boone said. "Not just something funny and motivational but I'm trying to pull in community and social and emotional health so it’s a more robust way to connect with them.”

Boone is the sole editor, writer, actor and photographer for these mini productions. On May 4, he produced a "Star Wars"-themed video and acted as all of the characters.

According to Boone, these videos have paid off. His participation rate online averages between 83 percent and 93 percent.

Boone's next video will involve him playing the violin. He also filmed WYFF News 4's Madeleine Hackett and photographer Mark Lyon as they interviewed him. He says he plans to incorporate that footage into a future lesson for his students.